It was my mistake!

I was in dilemma. Being socially active person I had to meet elderly, highly reputed persons of the society and according to social norms taught by our senior colleagues I got habituated to wish them by folding hands in “namaskar mudra”. Due to this new habit I forgot to wish elders by touching toe. Whenever I am visiting Navodaya, I am wishing by touching toe to those teachers who had taught me, but I am just wishing by folding hands in “namaskar mudra” to others.  Always my conscious knocks me to bend and touch toes of all the teachers, but habit overcomes that calling and I always repeated that mistake. Today when Ankit told me about the gossips going on in the school about this observation made by the students, I felt my mistake. All teachers who taught me or not taught me deserve the same respect. Anyway at this junction all the teachers are elder to me and most of time they all are in the same age group and hence they deserve same treatment. Such behavior will bring affection to me in return

Silent Appraisal

Many years passed when I thought about making schools more effective in transmitting better education to children and I also carved out ways to keep school teachers motivated towards their commitment for shaping the future of children. On those days I used to think, teachers should be invited in family functions and should be given due respect. Those are the days when I used to be prominent figure of alumni program of my school. Later I became passive towards school affairs became obsessed with my social initiatives.

But I kept going schools occasionally and stayed in touch with teachers. As my own nephew is now studying in that school, some teachers also get attached to my brother-in-law. This is the time when teachers were also aware about my marriage proposals and other proceedings and naturally they all were expecting marriage invitation from my side. Naturally I did that. Taking out time from my busy schedule, I personally went there and offered my marriage invitation to all the teachers and also took promise from a teacher to coordinate with them. On the marriage day I also arranged a vehicle for them. I did all these unconsciously without thinking their impact.

But when a teacher mentioned about this event and expressed how all the teachers became proud of their profession after being honored by their students, it suddenly realized that my action was in line with my own thought. He simply mentioned that all became motivated towards their profession.  

Letter to elder Brother by Rajendra Prasad

मंगलवार, १ मार्च, १९१०

मेरे प्रिय भाई,

...

.....आपको याद होगा कि लगभग बीस दिन पूर्व मैं माननीय गोखले से मिलने गया था. उन्होंने मेरे सामने 'सर्वेन्ट्स ऑफ़ इंडिया सोसाइटी' में शामिल होने का प्रस्ताव रखा. तभी से इस प्रस्ताव कि व्यवहारिकता सम्बन्धी बातें मेरे मस्तिष्क में चक्कर काटती रहीं, और बीस दिनों तक निरंतर विचार करने के बाद मैं इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा हूँ कि मुझे अपना सर्वस्व देश पर न्यौछावर कर देना चाहिए. मैं जनता हूँ कि मुझसे, जिसपर परिवार कि सारी आशाएँ केन्द्त्रित हैं, ऐसी बातें सुनकर आपको धक्का पहुँचेगा. मैं यह भी जनता हूँ कि मैं परिवार को अपने हाल पर छोड़ता हूँ तो उसे भारी दिक्कतों का सामना करना पड़ेगा. किन्तु मेरे भाई मुझे अपने भीतर एक उच्चतर तथा और अधिक महत्वपूर्ण आह्वान कि अनुभूति होती है....

...

अतः मैं आपसे अनुरोध करता हूँ कि तीस करोर के हित में आप कुर्बानी दें.... श्री गोखले की सोसाइटी में सम्मिलित होने का अर्थ मेरे लिए व्यक्तिगत स्टार पर कोई त्याग नहीं हैं. भले के लिए अथवा बुरे के लिए मुझे ऐसी शिक्षा का लाभ मिला हैं कि मैं स्वयं को किसी भी परिस्थिति के अनुकूल बना सकता हूँ... लेकिन मैं अपने को इस भुलावे में नहीं रख सकता कि मेरे इस उपक्रम में आपका भी कोई त्याग नहीं हैं. आप सबकी मुझसे जो ऊँची आशाएँ हैं, वे एक क्षण में ढह जाएँगी. .. यदि मैं थोडा कमाऊ तो थोडा धन उपार्जन कर लूँगा और कदाचित इस तरह उस तथाकथित समाज में, जहाँ मनुष्य कि महानता उसके ह्रदय कि विशालता से नहीं, वरन उसकी मोती थैली से आंकी जाती हैं, अपने परिवार का स्टार ऊँचा उठाने में समर्थ होऊँगा. किन्तु इस क्षणभंगुर संसार में धन, पद, सम्मान-- सब विलीन हो जाते हैं. धन के साथ साथ हमारी आवश्यकतायें भी बढती जाती हें और यद्द्यापी लोग समझते हें कि धन से उन्हें संतुष्टि होगी, जिन्हें थोडा भी jyan है वे अच्छी तरह जानते हैन कि सुख का स्रोत बहार कहीं नहीं अपने भीतर ही है. एक दरिद्र व्यक्ति अपने थोड़े से रुपयों से ही, लाखों कि संपत्तिवाले धनिक से आशिक संतुष्ट रहता है. इसलिए हम दारिद्र्य से घृणा न करें. संसार के महानतम व्यक्ति आरंभ में अति दरिद्र,उत्पीडित और तिरस्कृत रहे, किन्तु उनपर हँसने या उन्हें सतानेवाले सदा के लिए मिटटी में मिल गए, जबकि सताए व उपहास के पात्र बनाये गए वे व्यक्ति आज लाखों लोगो की स्मृति और ह्रदय में विद्यमान हैं. ...

.. मेरे भाई, आप विश्वास करें की यदि जीवन में मेरी कोई महत्वाकांक्षा रही हैं तो वह यह कि मैं देश के काम आ सकूँ.... .. किन्तु आई.सी.एस. के प्रति मेरी कभी कोई आसक्ति नहीं थी, क्यूंकि मैं जनता था कि इसके चलते मेरे क्रिया कलाप बहुत सिमित हो जाएँगे... ..मेरी कोई महत्वाकांक्षा नहीं हैं. सिवाय इसके कि मैं मातृभूमि के काम आ सकूँ. पर मन लिया जाए कि मेरी कोई महत्वाकांक्षा होती भी तो इसके लिए हाई कोर्ट में क्या क्षेत्र हैं? मैं जानता हूँ कि मैं प्रतिमाह कई सौ रुपये अर्जित कर लूँगा. यह आय कई हजार भी हो सकती हैं, किन्तु क्या हजारों, लाखों, और करोरों कि सम्पत्तिवाले ऐसे अनगिनत लोग नहीं है, जिनकी कोई परवाह नहीं करता, और जिन्हें हम भी केवल दया की दृष्टि से देख सकते हैं? पर दूसरी ओर विशाल क्षेत्र पर दृष्टी डालें, किस राजा अथवा जनसाधारण को वह पद, प्रभाव और सम्मान प्राप्त है, जो श्री गोखले को है? और क्या इसके वाबजूद वे एक गरीब आदमी नहीं हैं? हम क्या उनके परिवार से भी अधिक गरीब हैं? यदि लाखों लोग दो तीन रुपये मासिक में गुजर कर सकते हैं तो हम दो-तीन सौ रुपये में क्यों नहीं कर सकते? हमारी महत्त्वाकक्षा को एक विशाल क्षेत्र मिलेगा, जरा इस पर भी ध्यान दें और मुझे शान्ति से जाने दें. यह आपका त्याग होगा और गौरव भी आप ही का....

.. मैंने बीस दिनों तक निरंतर इसपर विचार किया है और इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा हूँ कि तथाकथित सामाजिक मान मर्यादा, पद-प्रतिष्ठा -- सब निस्सार हैं, मनुष्य कि महानता उसके थैली के वजन पर नहीं, अपितु उसके ह्रदय की विशालता पर निर्भर है, और मुझे विश्वास है की आपका ह्रदय संसार में किसी भी व्यक्ति से काम विशाल नहीं है.

... अतः गरीबी और कुछ समय के लिए सामाजिक हीनता स्वेच्छा से अपनाकर देव्दूत्तुल्या उदारता का परिचय दें. यह दिखाकर की मनुष्य का ह्रदय विशाल व संकल्पशील है, संसार के सम्मुख आप यह सिद्ध कर दें की अभी या उच्च विचारों से रहित नहीं हुआ है. साबित कर दें कि अभी यह उच्च विचारों से रहित नहीं हुआ है. साबित कर दें कि अभी यह उच्च विचारों से रहित नहीं हुआ है. साबित कर दें कि यहाँ ऐसे भी मनुष्य हैं जिनके लिए रूपया-पैसा कुछ नहीं, सेवा ही सबकुछ है. लाखों की और साथ ही अपने निकटतम और प्रियतम बन्धु-बांधवों की अपने प्रति kritajyata अर्जित करें.

.. मैं अपनी पत्नी को भी इस विषय में लिख रहा हूँ माँ को नहीं लिख सकता. इस वृद्धावस्था में इससे उन्हें गहरा धक्का पहुँच सकता है.

आपका स्नेहाधीन,

राजेंद्र प्रसाद

Relevancy of Modern Education for the Poors

What the poor said was, "Just don't get anyone with degrees and qualifications into the college." They are the biggest threat to development today. As Mark Twain said, "Never let school interfere with your Education".

Needed live Ideals: reversal of outlook towards life

'Why do you want to go in IIT?' I asked this simple question to a sixth class student named Sumit. 'I want to become like you.' he replied innocently. After seeing his innocence I further asked him,'Do you know what I am doing? Would you be able to walk among poors, in villages?' 'Yes I will do that.' he replied confidently.
One may claim that every child will answer in the same fashion. That was not the case as I am observing my nephew and his outlook towards life.
One thing is pretty clear that there is scope of positive change in future and students need a live example in front of them. Till now all of seniors, teachers have glorified some unnatural things like going abroad, earning hefty amount and for that becoming engineer or doctors. There is need of change of thought and outlook. People working for common cause should be given more place in their daily discussions rather pouring thoughts about accolades earned by individuals.

Bad Practices by Authorities

Yesterday I was talking with my Arnav Vibhuti. He is studying in class six. He was always eager to tell all the happening in the school. Although he is a brilliant student he has a little interest in study. As A.C. came to visit his school, he was excited to tell the events followed.

Due to excessive cold morning P.T. classes have not been conducted for past two months. Students have developed very wrong habit of sleeping till 8 O’clock in the morning. This might have been taken as precautionary step, but such habit is wrong. Students are the future of this country and they all have to work in this very environment throughout their lives. They must be taught to work attentively right from childhood. As they already have been given medical facilities and winter clothes, they must be made to do P.T. or some other related activities during that period. That was the right time to tell the stories of military life how army-men area working day and night in severe cold for protecting our countries. They must know about the way discipline was inculcated among Satyagrahi in Sabarmati Ashram by Gandhiji. Only a well disciplined student will lead the country on the path of glory.

Unfortunately our teachers in school are visionless and help students to learn all wrong way of life right from their childhood. As some higher authority comes for inspection, they do things for show off. They arranged morning P.T. for a short duration. What message goes to students? One must think. Such behaviour by a teacher is nothing but crime.

One must visit Ashrams in jungles. Students have nothing to eat, but they are made to follow the routing in all conditions. One must go such Ashrams and learn things.

Elements of criminality in schools

Students have developed very wrong culture in school. Although students belong to class 9 to 10^th , they all are involved in crimes in school.

On every possible occasion, it is birthday of some great personality or it is the farewell of some teachers or some class; senior students are collecting hefty amount of money from junior students. You may consider how much worth forty rupees have for a class sixth student. I used to collect money for Ashram from colleagues and seniors. All with good heart and sensible mind easily give Rs. 500 and more but the rest give Rs. 100 reluctantly, although all senior people in NTPC earn more than Rs. 60000.

“You all have to pay forty rupees. If you have no money, borrow from somewhere and must pay” such are the statement full of tyranny are made by a class 9 or 11^th students. For terrifying students, they used to beat unbridled some of junior students and there are none to address that problem.

Students of class sixth have notion that teachers are very weak. They have fear from students. They can not to do anything and hence they must obey to his seniors.

All such things are happening because teachers are not active in their own life. If they would have led disciplined life they would have control on students.

Whatever the case, such practices must be checked by involving students in more creative things. They must be directed for higher vision. How things will change, a responsible citizen must think.